Guest Blogger: Louisville Mother Responds

by Fran Ellers, mother of two children in Jefferson County Public Schools, ages 9 and 11

I’m so disappointed – for my two kids, for our school system, and for students and families across the U.S. My son has six or seven running buddies at his elementary school, only one of whom is from our same neighborhood. The rest are from throughout the county and include children of other races and socioeconomic backgrounds. If we return to a system of neighborhood schools, that learning experience will be lost.

My middle-school daughter’s reaction: “You mean we don’t have to have integrated schools anymore? That sucks!”

I’m sure our school board and new superintendent will look closely at alternatives to promote diversity in schools, but I’m not sure what would be legal or workable. Because Louisville neighborhoods are so segregated, I’m wondering if the school system could substitute zip codes for race to ensure that schools are integrated. Even if that’s legal, however, I’m not sure our community would accept it. It could be more easily attacked by both white and black parents as inconveniencing families based on where they live.